The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-16
COURTING In MEXICO.
The Peculiar Methods by which Gay Young Mep
Win Their Wives.

and boys at 13 years are eligible to
marriage, and it is not an unusual
sight. to see woman, who looks nc
more than 80, % great-grandmother
As children, the Mexicans are rather
pretty; but when girl passes 20 she
gets "mucho-mucho" avoirdupois, and
Mt 30 she sports mustache and gal
ways" that would cause young bache'
Tors in the States to turn green with
envy. The men, on the contrary,
are slim and wiry, and do not
boast on their hirsute charms
especially when in company with
women, as they have little desire to
call attention to the contrast, and
the diamond ring finds other means OF
display than stroking and twisting
an imaginary moustache. Yet this ex-
change of charms inteferes in no way
with love making, and the young man
watts sweet kisses from his finger tips
to the fair-no, dark-damsel, and
enjoys it MS much as il the black silky
down on her lip were iringing the
gateway to his stomach.
Boys and girls, even in babyhood,
are not permitted to be together. Be-
fore very long they compel their eyes
to speak the love their lips dare not
tell, and with o little practice it IS
surprising how much they can say
and how cold and insipid sound words
OF the same meaning in comparison
All the counting is done on the street.
When evening kindly lends its shelter.
ing cloak, even though the moon
smiles full-faced at the many love
scenes she is witnessing, the girl opens
her easement window, and, with gui.
tar in her hand or dreamily watching
the stars, she awaits her lover. I
her room is on the ground floor she is
in paradise, for then they can con.
verse-he can even touch her hand
through the bars. But il she is con.
signed to n room above she steps out
on the balcony. If the distance is no
too great they can still converse, but
otherwise, with the aid ofpencil, paper
and tiny cards, they manage to spend
the evening blissfully without burning
papa's coal and gas and staying ur
until unseemly hours.
The lovers are unmindful OF the PEG.
pie who pass and repass, and the kind.
hearted policeman never even thinks
of telling the young man to "move
on" II the house is secluded the low.
er tells his devotion in musical strains.
Night is only devoted to love-making,
but i'll the broad light of day the lover
will stand across the street, and from
the partly opened easement OF the fair
one are visible hand and a nose-ol
course, she has full view, but that is
all that can be seen OF her. With the
hand they converse in the deaf and
dumb language, which, added to their
own signs, makes large dictionary.
1t is not likely there exists Mexican
who is not an adept in the sign Ian
euage. Counting is too vulgar ID word
for them, so they call it-translated
in Englsh-playing the bear.
You would naturally wonder how
girl who never leaves her mothers OF
chaperone's side, who never goes to
parties, who is watched like con,
demned murderess, would get a lover,
but notwithstanding all this strictness
they number less old maids and more
admirers than their sisters in the
states. Perhaps while out driving, al
the theatre or bul-fghts, they see a
man they think they would like. He
is similarly impressed. He follows his
one home and she knows
enough to be on the balcony awaiting
his arrival with the shades of night.
He might play the bear with her for o
year and she not know his name. lie
has the advantage, for he can find out
al about her family and thereby de
termine il she is desirable bride OF
not.
Sometimes they play the bear iron
seven to fifteen years-that is, il the |
parents are wealthy-and even Their
rot get the girl, for with all their pas
'ionate love they number many flirts |
Often one girl will have two or more
playing the bear at the same time |
L they chance to meet they inquire
RELY. "Whom are you aftery" L
he answer demonstrates the same
'irl one will request the other to ster
lside. II he refuses duel follows
after that the girl is bound, by the
lstom OF her country, to relinquish
10th. II a brother orfather discovers
! "bear," the latter must submit to a
from their hands if he still
lesires to retain the girls love. Ii a
ather notices the attention ofa "bear"
md looks with favor upon him he does
lot disturb his playing" When he
oncludes he has served long enough
lie is invited into the house. This
means the same as il he bad asked